Driver’s license: a song, a piece of plastic, and a symbol of freedom. In the United States, most 16-year-olds are earning their driver’s license and transition into a period of true freedom — one where they can choose where to drive and how long they’ll be out. It is the ultimate signifier of freedom and transition to adulthood.
There are some things that are expected when you turn 20. One of those is the ability to drive and no longer need to be driven around by someone else. If you are among the few that can’t or don’t drive, you live with this perpetual guilt of being that person. You know, the one that is constantly having to leave the situation early because you need to catch a bus ride home or the one that doesn’t go out after a certain hour because being alone without a car that late can lead to unwanted situations. That person.
I, myself, am that person. I cannot drive nor do I have the desire to drive. I understand that I have to get my driver’s license soon, but I often wonder if it’s important to have one. On a similar note, my roommate doesn’t drive because she can’t afford the cost of increased insurance and on-campus parking. I bet she wonders if bringing her car would have been important. We are in the same situation.
I guess the question I have is, why is there so much pressure to drive?
American society puts great importance on the ability to drive. Driving is almost synonymous with freedom, new beginnings and future. It makes sense — we crave the open road and the opportunity to find ourselves in new places. As teenagers, our future grows the moments we learn to drive. As adults, we can go wherever our heart desires. Driving is a force on our lives. However, why can’t that happen even if you can’t drive?
Take Europe, for example. The use of public transportation provides people with the freedom to go wherever they desire. Unlike the United States, some metros and trains can take people all over the continent. I remember traveling from Valencia to Barcelona by high-speed train; going from Spain to Switzerland to France on a train; navigating my way through the city of Lisbon by metro. I had all the freedom I needed in my hands, without needing to drive.
Unfortunately, I’m 20 and people have a hard time understanding why I find driving unnecessary. My parents tell me that I need to get my license, peers explain the importance of driving, and society wants me to feel that freedom doesn’t come until I drive. But, again, why is there pressure to drive? If I have found freedom in public transportation, traveling from city to city, and country to country, why should I drive?
I believe that driving has less to do with freedom and more to do with independence. If you can drive, you don’t have to worry about missing a bus or relying on someone else for a ride. You can depend on yourself, keeping yourself responsible; you can leave situations whenever you need; you have more independence than before. Freedom may not be freely given, but independence cannot be taken away — driving will only amplify your independence.
In the end, I assume independence is the reason for driving. It is not about freedom, but the transition from our dependence on others to the ability to depend on ourselves. Driving signifies our final transition to becoming ourselves — freely, authentically, independently.